Living with complex posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)** presents significant challenges, which can make daily life feel like a constant battle. These challenges can cause difficulties in getting out of bed, performing routine tasks, maintaining a normal appearance for those around them, while facing the internal struggle. These challenges can become overwhelming and utterly exhausting, often leading to feelings of inadequacy or vulnerability. What may appear as a simple, straightforward task to someone without complex PTSD can feel like an impossible task to those who live with this condition. The internal turmoil and emotional burden associated with complex PTSD can also make it challenging to seek support from healthcare professionals, or other people in the community.
Variation in people’s responses to the same trauma:
The subjective nature of trauma underscores the fact that people can react differently to similar events based on their personal experiences, coping mechanisms, and emotional resilience. What may be deeply traumatic for one person might not have the same impact on another. For example, if a piece of food is being offered to one child by the parent and not to the other sibling sitting there, it may be a trauma for that sibling (emotional neglect).
Big T vs. Small t Trauma:
Trauma can be categorized into two primary classifications, often described as “Big ‘T'” and “little ‘t'” traumas.
“Big ‘T'” traumas encompass the types of events that are most frequently linked to the development of PTSD, such as severe physical injury, sexual violence, or life-threatening experiences.
“Little ‘t'” trauma pertains to events that, although not violent or catastrophic, still carry significant emotional impact, like neglect from a friend, losing a pet, moving to a new country, or bullying (Canada, 2023).
What is Complex Trauma:
The term “complex trauma” refers to trauma that individuals may have encountered during childhood or early developmental stages. This includes experiences like physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, domestic violence, abandonment, neglect, bullying, or strict and punitive upbringing.
How Childhood Trauma Affects Adulthood:
In a nurturing environment, parents meet their child’s needs with empathy and care. When this is missing, the child might adapt to please the parent, sacrificing their own emotions.
For example, if your parent couldn’t tolerate your anger, you might have learned to suppress it and become quiet to maintain connection. Over time, this can lead to a split within the self—where you appear normal outwardly, but suppressed parts within relive childhood distress.
Symptoms might include flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, negative thinking, difficulty concentrating, memory issues, strained relationships, hypervigilance, angry outbursts, shame, guilt, or emotional numbness.
Finding Power in the Struggle of Complex PTSD:
Adversity can lead to strength and emotional growth. Struggling is not failure—it is a sign of resilience. The path to healing from complex PTSD starts with acknowledging the struggle and committing to work through it.
Treatment Options
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
Focuses on current thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Helps reframe negative patterns contributing to distress.
Prolonged Exposure (PE):
A type of CBT where individuals gradually face trauma-related memories and triggers to reduce their power.
Somatic Strategies:
Activities like yoga, stretching, progressive muscle relaxation, butterfly hugs, and body scans help calm the nervous system (A., 2014).
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing):
A structured therapy where patients briefly recall trauma while experiencing bilateral stimulation (e.g., eye movements), helping reduce emotional intensity.
Get Support from a Trauma-Expert Professional:
With complex trauma, professional help is essential. Trying to manage it alone can lead to overwhelm. Therapists may use EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Ego State Interventions, or Internal Family Systems (IFS) to support healing (Subramanyam et al., 2020).
If this resonates with you, please reach out today to get started.
I am an EMDR-trained clinician and offer ego state therapy to those navigating complex trauma. I also tailor therapy using various approaches based on individual needs.
📞 Book a free 15-minute phone consultation today!
Contact: 902-266-2198
Email: info@broadtherapy.ca
References
The struggle of Complex PTSD – HealthyPlace
A., V. der K. B. (2014). *The Body Keeps the Score*. Viking.
Treatments for PTSD – American Psychological Association
Government of Canada – PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – Mayo Clinic
Psychological interventions for dissociative disorders – Indian Journal of Psychiatry
